‘Old fashioned smear’: Kiama MP Gareth Ward lambastes Labor campaign tactics

Gareth Ward has criticised Labor for instigating a smear campaign against him, adding he will “stand by his record”.

Kiama MP Gareth Ward has reacted to Premier Dominic Perrottet’s commitment to running a candidate in the Illawarra-South Coast seat. Picture: Flavio Brancaleone

Outspoken Kiama MP Garath Ward has called out Labor leader Chris Minns for “obsessing” and ”targeting” him following comments published by the ABC on Tuesday.

Mr Minns said Premier Dominic Perrottet needed to be “upfront” regarding whether or not he endorses Mr Ward, a Liberal-turned-independent subject to five sexual assault charges.

Mr Ward has strongly denied the allegations, which remain before the courts.

The comments from the Opposition Leader came after Mr Perrottet told the media his party membership and executives were “working through” who would run in Kiama, a seat Mr Ward won by nearly 9 per cent four years ago.

Mr Ward told NewsLocal “of course” he was “expecting the Liberal Party to run a candidate in Kiama, it's no surprise”, while criticising Labor’s “smear” campaign.

“I’m continuing to work hard and get things done for our community,” Mr Ward said.

“I'm proud of my record and I’ll happily stack it against anyone else any day of the week.

Kiama MP Gareth Ward says he is being “personally attacked” by Labor. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“The opposition continues to attack me personally rather than offer any actual commitments to our region. Not a single project, policy or new initiative from Labor. Just old-fashioned smear.

“Whilst my focus continues to be our community, it appears the opposition just want to target me – our community is much smarter than that.

“Clearly, the opposition leader has no respect for the presumption of innocence and due process. If he did – he’d focus on his own plans rather than continuing to obsess about me.”

Mr Ward continued his criticism of Labor on Wednesday after Mr Minns announced a $30 million pilot program dubbed “Build to Rent” on the South Coast.

Opposition Leader Chris Minns is looking to bring Labor back into government after 12 years. Picture: Dylan Coker

A Labor statement said the purpose of the scheme was to “add to the supply of longer-term rentals in the housing market” by ”identifying existing surplus government land, working with local government on potential sites and looking for opportunities to acquire land to build on”.

However, Mr Ward said it sounded like a plan “with no land, no numbers, no date and no real substance”.

“I’ll offer Labor some free advice; if you’re going to build homes, you need land. Unlike their policies, people can’t live in clouds,” he said.

“Labor came to our community today and tried to pass off a housing policy that simply has no detail.”

Mr Ward is expected to run in the March 25 election as an independent, however, he told NewLocal when he's “got something to say about that, I’ll say it”.